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Lookman strike earns Leicester 1-0 victory over crown-chasing Liverpool

LEICESTER, England — Title-chasers Liverpool slipped to their second Premier League defeat of the season after substitute Ademola Lookman earned Leicester City a hard-fought 1-0 victory on Tuesday.

Liverpool dominated the first half against an injury-hit Leicester and looked set to take a deserved lead when they were awarded a 16th-minute penalty, only for Egyptian Mohamed Salah to see his spot kick saved by home goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

The chances kept coming for the visitors, with Sadio Mane blazing over when he should have scored early in the second half.

Liverpool’s profligacy proved costly as Lookman fired Leicester in front just before the hour mark, sparking scenes of euphoria at the King Power Stadium.

It was backs to the wall for Leicester after that, but they dug in to secure a win that leaves second-placed Liverpool six points adrift of leaders Manchester City, as Foxes coach Brendan Rodgers got one over on the side he used to manage.

After conceding six at Manchester City on Boxing Day, Leicester’s morale-boosting win moved them up to ninth in the standings.

“Definitely, it was well deserved (for Leicester),” Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp told Amazon Prime. “It was a very strange game. We were just not good enough.

“We still had enough chances. What we did with the balls was just not right. We played a really bad game, so it was well deserved.”

Liverpool, who had a five-day break prior to their trip to the King Power after Boxing Day’s fixture against Leeds United was postponed, looked much fresher than Leicester, playing their second game in three days, and soon took control of the match. — Reuters

K. Mbappe downplays transfer talk

KYLIAN Mbappe said he does not plan to leave Paris St Germain (PSG) in January despite mounting speculation about his future and that he hoped to add to his trophy haul at the end of the season.

Earlier this year, PSG turned down multiple bids from Real Madrid for the 23-year-old, who can leave as a free agent at the end of the season when his contract expires.

Mr. Mbappe is free to negotiate with Real and other clubs next month but said he was focused on beating the Spanish side when they face off in the Champions League last 16 in February.

“I’ll give everything I have to win the Champions League, the league and cup. And to give all the pleasure to the fans because they deserve it,” Mr. Mbappe told CNN, adding he did not regret telling PSG in July that he wanted to leave.

“I was honest. I gave a feeling, I gave what I have in my heart,” he said, adding, “I’m happy to stay.”

Mr. Mbappe said he enjoyed working with Argentina striker Lionel Messi, who joined from Barcelona in August.

“It’s a big pleasure for me to say to my kids, my friends, I play with him,” he said. “We have to enjoy seeing him in Paris… It’s an amazing moment in the history of the game.” — Reuters

Peso retreats to P51 per dollar

BW FILE PHOTO

THE PESO succumbed to the greenback and reached its weakest in 21 months amid concerns over higher coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections in the country.

The peso closed at P51 per dollar on Wednesday, shedding 54 centavos from its P50.46 close on Tuesday, based on data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines.

The peso’s Wednesday close matched its P51 per dollar finish on Sept. 30, and is the weakest since it closed at P51.07 on March 26, 2020, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

The peso opened the session weaker at P50.55 per dollar on Wednesday. Its worst showing was at its close of P51, while its intraday best was at P50.55.

Dollars exchanged increased to $1.342 billion on Wednesday from $994.8 million on Tuesday.

A trader in an e-mail attributed the peso’s weakness to “growing market caution over the increasing trend of local new COVID-19 cases”.

COVID-19 cases in the country increased by 889 to 10,418 on Wednesday, based on data from the Department of Health.

The positivity rate also rose to 4.5%. This was below 1% in the weeks prior to the holidays.

The country has already detected four cases of the more transmissible Omicron variant.

For his part, Mr. Ricafort said the local unit likely weakened as conversion of seasonal cash remittances from overseas Filipino workers for the holidays have likely already peaked.

Mr. Ricafort expects the peso to move within P50.70 to P51 per dollar, while the trader gave a forecast range of P50.90 to P51.121. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Local shares climb on economic recovery hopes

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PHILIPPINE shares continued their rally on Wednesday driven by investors’ hopes of a strong economic recovery in 2022, shrugging off pandemic concerns.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) gained 48.06 points or 0.66% to close at 7,334.56 on Wednesday, while the broader all shares index rose 25.47 points or 0.66% to finish at 3,883.38.

“Philippine shares once again made steady gains as part of the year-end window dressing amid a quiet week and ahead of the holidays,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said in a Viber message.

Financial markets will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 30, in commemoration of Rizal Day.

“The local bourse finished higher on hopes of the local economy further reopening after the holidays, as COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) cases in the country remain low,” Timson Securities, Inc. Trader Darren Blaine T. Pangan said in a separate Viber message.

The Health department logged 421 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the country’s total cases to 9,750. The Philippines’ positivity rate stood at 2.6%.

“Market rose as investors bet on sustained favorable Philippine macrodata reflected in home price recovery [as] per [the] Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, lower December 2021 inflation expectations, and resilient OFW (overseas Filipino worker) remittances seen to grow in 2022,” First Metro Investment Corp. Head of Research Cristina S. Ulang said in another Viber message.

“Foreign transactions for the day ended in a net inflow of P568.40 million, adding boost to the market’s rally. Trading was still lethargic, however… below the year-to-date average of P7.39 billion,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Senior Research and Engagement Supervisor Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a separate Viber message.

Net foreign buying decreased to P568.3 million on Wednesday, inching down from the P659.90 million logged in net purchases the previous trading day.

Value turnover rose to P5.23 billion on Wednesday with 1.75 billion shares switching hands, higher than the P5.09 billion with 3.31 billion issues traded on Tuesday.

Majority of sectoral indices posted gains on Wednesday except for holding firms, which gave up 37.04 points or 0.52% to close at 7,057.35.

Meanwhile, mining and oil climbed 264.06 points or 2.81% on Wednesday to finish at 9,633.31; property increased by 68.84 points or 2.15% to 3,259.51; industrials rose by 60.42 points or 0.57% to 10,562.91; financials improved by 22.89 points or 1.39% to 1,660.91; and services went up by 12.40 points or 0.61% to 2,033.51.

Advancers beat decliners, 114 against 79, while 62 names were unchanged.

“7,450 seems to be the closest resistance area, while 6,940 may be considered the nearest support level,” Mr. Pangan said. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Satellite technology to help bridge digital divide, open opportunities in space-adjacent sectors 

WIKIPEDIA

By Patricia Mirasol 

From advancing online education to opening opportunities in space-adjacent sectors, the entry of satellite internet operators will help bridge the digital divide in the Philippines.

“We intend to use satellite technology, firstly, in our missionary objectives,” said Dennis Anthony H. Uy, CEO and co-founder of Converge ICT Solutions, Inc.

The telecommunications company, Mr. Uy told BusinessWorld in an e-mail, has an ongoing project with the government to connect 2,000 remote schools with high-speed broadband through satellite technology. “We hope to be able to finalize this project by the end of the year,” he added.

Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. is one of two local companies that are in talks with Starlink, a unit of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, to launch its satellite broadband in the Philippines. 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL COMPANIES
The emergence of satellite constellations also opens opportunities for local companies to be part of the global supply chain for satellites and relevant ground infrastructure, said Joel Joseph S. Marciano, Jr., director general of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA). 

“Local companies in space-adjacent sectors (e.g., electronics, semiconductor, mechanical, automotive, aerospace) can engage these satellite operators in the design, manufacturing, and test of high-value, space-qualified components and systems,” he told BusinessWorld in an interview. 

The “space economy” is composed of all the industries that make modern digital life possible. The OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) defines it as “the full range of activities and the use of resources that create value and benefits to human beings in the course of exploring, researching, understanding, managing, and utilizing space.”

Space Foundation, a nonprofit advocate organization, found that the global space economy rose to 22,678.54 PHP billion in 2020 — an increase of 4.4% from the previous year. 

COMPLEMENTARY TO EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE
Satellite technology is useful to the Philippines in a geographic sense, Mr. Marciano said. The country’s archipelagic geography, he said, presents challenges to the rollout of internet infrastructure with towers and cables. Hence, the concentration of internet connectivity in dense areas.

The technology is likewise useful in restoring connectivity in the aftermath of natural disasters, such as in the case of Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai), which affected at least 79 electric cooperatives and 236 municipalities.

“In a disaster-prone country like ours, terrestrial infrastructure consisting of towers and cables are often also ‘victims’ of calamities,” Mr. Marciano added.

Satellite technology will be a complementary technology to fiber, Mr. Uy told BusinessWorld.

“We intend to use this technology for areas that cannot be reached by our fiber backbone due to terrain or undeveloped roads,” he said. “These are typically the low-income, insular communities.”

SHORTER DELAYS EQUAL REAL-TIME RESPONSE
Satellite Internet operators (SIO) with non-geostationary satellites, like Starlink, bring technologies that promise lower latency (i.e., shorter delays). This allows for more real-time response — as in video conferencing — and over a wider service area. 

PhilSA used simulations in February to illustrate what Starlink’s availability in the country would mean for consumers. It found that the SIO’s download speed of 100-200 megabits per second (Mbps) is higher than the country’s average Internet download speed of 71.185 Mbps for fixed broadband, and 35.03 Mbps for mobile Internet.

SIOs can offer their services directly to end users, Mr. Marciano told BusinessWorld.

“With the wide and instant coverage, high throughput capability, and expected lower latency performance… we can expect these [satellite constellations] to capture markets that are hitherto unaddressed, unserved, or underserved,” he said.

While the technology’s potential will be a boon to sectors such as education, healthcare, and transportation, the associated costs require further scrutiny.

“There are still some considerable costs associated with the adoption of satellites, so we are being strategic with how we leverage it,” said Mr. Uy. 

According to PC Magazine ion Dec. 22, the cost of Starlink in the US was 25,316.76 PHP for an antenna and router, plus 5,022.77 PHP a month, which comes out to 48.71 PHP per Mbps (currently averaging 104Mbps on downloads).

MVP Group supports OdettePH affected areas through Gabay sa Pagbangon concert

The Manuel V. Pangilinan (MVP) Group of Companies continues to augment its support for the communities affected by Typhoon Odette amid the holiday season. Beyond the initiatives that its companies mobilized throughout the past week, the group organized “Gabay sa Pagbangon,” an online concert for the benefit of the calamity-stricken areas in Visayas and Mindanao, streaming live on Dec. 29.

Spearheaded by Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF), PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF), and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), and with the support of the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB), Gabay sa Pagbangon brought together a premiere roster of local talents, performing for the purpose of generating more aid and assistance for the affected communities.

The proceeds will augment the funds and appropriations raised by the group to mobilize manpower assistance, food, water, shelter materials, and mercy missions of around P80 million to date.

Singing for Hope

Hosted by Pops Fernandez and with the special participation of Derek Ramsey, Iza Calzado, and Dominic Roque, the performance lineup included Sharon Cuneta, Gary Valenciano, Maestro Ryan Cayabyab, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, Martin Nievera, Ogie Alcasid, Basil Valdez, Kuh Ledesma, Jose Mari Chan, Erik Santos, Christian Bautista, Jed Madela, Ben&Ben, Vina Morales, Jona, Klarisse, Jason Dy, and The Company. These artists have selflessly dedicated their talent and time with only the fulfillment of helping in return — most of whom have supported Gabay Guro for over 15 years in their own personal capacity.

Streamed free via the Gabay Advocacies, Gabay Guro, and DepEd Facebook pages, the Gabay sa Pagbangon Concert is the group’s secondary effort towards drumming up more financial and in-kind help. In line with Gabay Komunidad and the Tuloy Pa Rin Ang Pasko movement, the concert’s entertainment value falls second to its two main objectives: to reach a wider audience with the aim of receiving more donations; and to be a source of hope, love, and holiday cheer for all amid the difficult situation.

“You cannot have donor fatigue during times like this, because they just need help,” said Chairman Manny V Pangilinan in an interview. “Whatever we can do — from the smallest to the biggest of help that we can render will be greatly appreciated by our people.”

Part of the proceeds from the online concert will be utilized for the purchase of necessities, primarily clean drinking water, ready-to-eat or shelf-stable meals, and building materials for reconstructing damaged shelters.

MPIF President Melody M. Del Rosario enjoins all who are able to share what they can — be it time, resources, or even links on social media. “Now more than ever, the spirit of bayanihan sees us through the darkest of moments — and that is what we at the MVP Group wish to uplift for our affected kababayans. What we think are small, insignificant contributions will amass into an expansive impact that changes the lives of those in need.”

Instrumental to the online concert are musical director Eloisa Matias, Sernne Dominica, and other production volunteers — all Gabay Guro supporters who have helped with several of the group’s initiatives.

MPIC President & CEO Jose Ma. K. Lim expressed his thanks to those who have made the event possible. “We will only be able to rise above any devastation if we help one another. We are thankful for everyone who made this collaboration happen, as this initiative is in line with our purpose of uplifting the lives of Filipinos.”

Reaching Out for Purpose

In collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd), a significant amount of the proceeds was earmarked for the benefit of affected teachers and learners in the ravaged areas. For several years, the group has helped many disaster-stricken areas to normalize their situation, developing efforts that aim to uplift the level of resilience in these communities.

Through Gabay Guro, the MVP Group’s flagship advocacy program, classrooms were built to withstand more than 250kph winds as part of the group’s sustainability and climate resilience initiatives. Schools built in Leyte, Bohol, Capiz after Typhoon Yolanda and the big earthquake survived the wrath of Odette.

The benefit concert also intends to help the Gabay Guro teachers in Visayas and Mindanao ensure that no learner is left behind.

Calling Out for Healing

Beyond providing relief support, the concert aimed to reiterate the importance of climate change awareness and spark urgency towards climate action, environmental responsibility, and the development of sustainable initiatives with respect to climate resilience. Odette serves as a devastating reminder that the time to act is now.

Super-typhoons such as these are a stark example of what the country and the rest of the world will continue to experience if the continuous neglect for the environment persists. Through Gabay Kalikasan, the group aims to become catalysts for a cleaner, greener, and more resilient planet for every Filipino. With the support of ACB, the Gabay sa Pagbangon benefit concert is only one of the MVP Group’s trumpeting initiatives to reach out to more Filipinos and encourage positive change.

“Our group has always been at the forefront of environmental protection because we believe that it is our collective responsibility to heed the call for climate action and take care of our environment and natural ecosystems in light of our importance to our planet’s health,” said MPIC Chief Finance, Risk and Sustainability Officer Chaye A. Cabal-Revilla. “This is why, for years now, we have been actively pursuing environmental protection programs such as reforestation, urban biodiversity, mangroves preservation, marine protection, and wetlands conservation.”

In line with the MVP Gabay Advocacies for a Sustainable Philippines, Gabay Komunidad focuses on building a more resilient and disaster-prepared country. Guided by this advocacy, the entire group is taking significant strides towards providing as much assistance to the victims as possible, as soon as possible.

 

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Hong Kong police raid pro-democracy Stand News outlet, arrest six

HONG KONG – Hundreds of Hong Kong national security police raided the office of online pro–democracy media outlet Stand News on Wednesday and arrested six people, including senior staff, for suspected “seditious publications” offences.

Stand News, set up in 2014 as a non-profit, is the most prominent remaining pro–democracy publication in Hong Kong after a national security probe earlier this year led to the closure of jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai’s iconic Apple Daily tabloid.

The raid further raises concerns about media freedoms in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the promise a wide range of individual rights would be protected.

Police said in a statement it had a warrant authorising it “to search and seize relevant journalistic materials”.

“Over 200 uniformed and plain clothes police officers have been deployed,” the statement said.

Separately, police said they had arrested three men and three women, aged 34 to 73, without naming them, for “conspiracy to publish seditious publications”.

Ronson Chan, Stand News deputy assignment editor and the head of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), was not among those arrested, but said police confiscated his computer, iPhone, iPad, press pass and banking records during an early morning search of his residence.

“Stand News has always reported news professionally,” he added. Other senior staff could not be reached for comment.

The Stand News office in an industrial building in the Kwun Tong working class district was partially sealed off, with scores of police milling about the lobby and four vans parked downstairs.

Officers were seen loading about three dozen boxes of documents and other materials seized as evidence onto a truck.

Steven Butler, Asia programme coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said the police actions were an “open assault on Hong Kong’s already tattered press freedom”.

The government’s Security Bureau did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Authorities have repeatedly said all prosecutions are based on evidence and had nothing to do with the profession of the people arrested.

 

‘SEDITIOUS’

Sedition is not among the offences listed under the sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing on the city in June 2020 that punishes terrorism, collusion with foreign forces, subversion and secession with possible life imprisonment.

But recent court judgements have freed authorities to use powers conferred by the new legislation to deploy previously sparsely used colonial era laws, including the Crime Ordinance which covers sedition.

Authorities say the security law has restored order after often-violent pro–democracy unrest in 2019. Critics say the legislation is a tool to quash dissent and has set the global financial hub on an authoritarian path.

“When a free press … is labelled ‘seditious’, it is a symbol of the speed at which this once great open international city has descended into little more than a police state,” Benedict Rogers, chief executive of rights group Hong Kong Watch, said in a statement.

In June, hundreds of police raided the premises of Apple Daily, arresting executives for alleged “collusion with a foreign country”. The newspaper subsequently shut down after police froze its assets.

On Tuesday, prosecutors filed an additional “seditious publications” charge against Lai and six other former Apple Daily staff.

Police had not disclosed which Apple Daily or Stand News articles they considered seditious.

 

‘SPEECH CRIMES’

The Stand News charter states that it shall be independent, autonomous and committed to safeguarding Hong Kong‘s core values of “democracy, human rights, rule of law and justice”.

After the Apple Daily raid, Stand News said it would stop accepting donations from readers and had taken down commentaries from the platform to protect supporters, authors and editorial staff, adding that “speech crimes” had come to Hong Kong.

The June announcement said senior barrister and former democratic legislator Margaret Ng, pop singer Denise Ho and four others resigned from its board, with two founding directors, Tony Tsoi and former chief editor Chung Pui-kuen, remaining.

Local media said the six people arrested on Wednesday included Ng, Ho, Chung, acting chief editor Patrick Lam and former board members Chow Tat-chi and Christine Fang.

HKJA said in a statement it was “deeply concerned that the police have repeatedly arrested senior members of the media and searched the offices of news organizations containing large quantities of journalistic materials”. – Reuters

Ayala Land delivers water supplies, relief goods to Odette-stricken Cebu communities

Ayala Land delivers a truckload of water daily to barangays Apas and Luz in Cebu.

To aid in the severe Cebu water shortage following Typhoon Odette’s aftermath, Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) has been donating truckloads of water every day to barangays in urgent need.

The initiative is part of the company’s Alagang AyalaLand (AAL) program, and targets Cebu communities who are still cut off from the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) supply. Ayala Land has been assisting barangays Apas and Luz, and began first deliveries to Luz on Dec. 25 and to Apas on Dec. 28. The group aims to continue these efforts until the end of the year or until the areas’ regular water supply resumes.

As the delivery of these urgent supplies are under way, Ayala Land is simultaneously providing support to MCWD facilities connected to Cebu Business Park to expedite the reboot of the area’s water supply. A deepwell in Cebu I.T. Park is also currently servicing a portion of barangay Apas.

Along with aid on water supply, Alagang AyalaLand provided relief packs to Barangay Luz on Christmas day, with more communities targeted for goods distribution. Moreover, Ayala Center Cebu and Ayala Malls Central Bloc have reopened essential stores like groceries, banks, hardware stores, and pharmacies, along with allocating charging stations within the malls.

Alagang AyalaLand’s relief pack distributions have been under way and are on track to be completed before the end of the year. A total of 2,800 packs are being distributed to barangays Apas, Lahug, Mabolo, Luz, Kamputhaw, Hippodromo, and Carreta. This is in addition to relief goods that were distributed at the onset of the typhoon to Cagayan De Oro and Negros Occidental communities. To widen the reach of its relief efforts, Ayala Land is also part of Brigadang Ayala which has been working to extend assistance to other areas that were hit by Typhoon Odette the hardest.

“Many communities in Visayas and Mindanao have been struggling since the typhoon hit and essential services were disrupted, so our immediate goal is to harness available resources from our developments and mobilize our teams to address the most important needs of our neighboring communities,” said Ayala Malls President Christopher Maglanoc.

Typhoon Odette made landfall in Cebu province on Dec. 16, bringing winds of over 200 kph. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) report as of Dec. 29, the aftermath left at least 56,000 individuals displaced and 42,000 houses damaged in Central Visayas alone. With power and communication lines heavily damaged and access routes impeded, residents of the area have been in dire need of essentials.

In the face of natural calamities, Alagang AyalaLand is dedicated to aiding affected Filipinos through ALI-wide disaster relief operations. The community engagement program also aims to uplift communities through livelihood generation and socially-conscious sustainability efforts.

 

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Trash for rice: Bali recycling scheme gives families pandemic lifeline

STOCK PHOTO - Pixabay.com

GIANYAR, Indonesia – For Balinese souvenir shop owner I Kadek Rai Nama Rupat, the past two years during the COVID-19 pandemic have been a fight for survival.

The pandemic has prevented the foreign tourists that usually throng businesses like his on the Indonesian resort island from coming and rising food prices have compounded the economic pain.

But a local non-profit group is offering help by exchanging rice for plastic trash that is then sold to a recycling company.

“Every piece of plastic waste is very valuable for the villagers today and for our economy,” said Rupat, who exchanged about four kg (9.5 pounds) of plastic for one kg of rice.

Rice costs about 15,000-20,000 rupiah ($1.05-1.40) per kg and locals estimate a family of four consumes about two kg per day of the staple, so the trade-in is worth the effort.

The Bali Plastic Exchange was founded in May last year by I Made Janur Yasa, who like many Balinese saw his main business running a vegan restaurant hit hard by the pandemic.

The 55-year-old said the driving force behind his project was a desire to feed communities in his home province in Bali and to improve the environment.

Indonesia is the world’s second biggest contributor of plastic pollutants in the oceans, according to a 2019 study published in the journal Science.

There’s no limit on how much plastic waste a person can bring in, though organizers encourage people to collect trash from their own neighborhoods.

After spreading via word of mouth, the initiative had helped support about 40,000 families in 200 villages, while recycling nearly 600 tons (544 tonnes) of plastic waste, said Yasa.

“This programme has been very well received by community members,” said Yasa, who hopes to expand it to other provinces in Indonesia. – Reuters

France reports record high of 179,807 new coronavirus cases in one day

PARIS – France reported a record high of 179,807 new confirmed coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period on Tuesday, one of the highest one–day tallies worldwide since the start of the pandemic.

It is the highest number of new daily infections in Europe, according to data on Covidtracker.fr. Since the start of the pandemic, only the United States and India have reported average daily new cases above 200,000. On Monday, the United States reported more than 505,000 new COVID-19 cases.

Britain on Tuesday reported a record 129,471 new cases of COVID-19, but the data did not include figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland due to differences in reporting practices over the Christmas holiday period.

France‘s previous record of 104,611 was set on Saturday, after the 86,852 high of Nov. 11, 2020, was broken with two consecutive days of more than 90,000 new cases per day at the end of last week.

The seven-day moving average of new cases in France – which smoothes out daily reporting irregularities – rose to a new all-time high of 87,500. On Sunday and Monday, the health ministry reported only about 30,000 new cases per day.

On Monday, the government announced new measures nL1N2TC0ZT to curb infections, including limits on the size of big gatherings, a ban on eating and drinking in transport systems and the mandatory wearing of masks again outdoors.

Despite the jump in new cases, the number of patients in hospital with COVID-19 remained well below record levels, with COVID-19 patients in intensive care up by 83 to 3,416 on Tuesday, well below the highs of more than 7,000 in early April 2020.

France also announced 290 new Covid deaths, taking the total over 123,000, the highest one–day toll since early May but well below death tallies seen late last year.

About 77% of the population is now fully vaccinated, which has sharply reduced the number of hospitalizations and deaths.

The Covid incidence rate – the number of new cases per week per 100,000 citizens – rose to over 900, the highest since the start of the epidemic and nearly twice the levels seen during the third wave in November 2020. – Reuters

UK’s daily COVID infections hit record high of 129,471

LONDON – Britain reported a record 129,471 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would not bring in new restrictions this year to limit the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus.

Johnson said on Monday he would not introduce new restrictions in England, but his ministers have urged people to celebrate the New Year cautiously and warned that the rules could be tightened if the health system was at risk of failure.

The British government manages lockdown restrictions for England, home to most of the UK population. Devolved authorities for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have already tightened their rules, as have other European countries facing a surge in Omicron cases.

The previous British record high of daily infections was 122,186 on Dec. 24.

Tuesday’s data did not include figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland due to differences in reporting practices over the Christmas holidays. The 12,378 cases reported for Wales included data that would normally have been reported in previous days.

British ministers are waiting for more evidence on how the health service is able to cope with high infection rates after early data suggested last week that the Omicron variant carried a lower risk of hospital admission.

The latest data showed the number of patients in hospital in England with COVID-19 was 9,546, up from 6,902 a week ago, but well below record levels above 34,000 seen in January.

Britain’s high vaccination rates, the time lag between infections and hospitalisations, and the potentially less harmful effects of the Omicron variant have all been put forward by health experts as factors behind the lower hospital numbers.

The government said on Tuesday there had been 18 new deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test – well below the recent trend of more than 100 per day. – Reuters

Mining revival expected as ban lifted

A port is pictured as trucks and a backhoe load rocks and soil containing nickel-ore minerals into a barge in the mining town of Sta Cruz, Zambales, Feb. 8, 2017. — REUTERS

THE PHILIPPINE government’s lifting of a four-year-old ban on open pit mining will revive the mining industry and potentially help drive the economy’s recovery from the pandemic, according to the head of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).

However, an advocacy group warned the resumption of mining activities may lead to further environmental damage.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued on Dec. 23 the Department Administrative Order (DAO) 2021-40, which lifts the nationwide ban on the open pit method of mining for copper, gold, silver and complex ores. The order was published in a newspaper on Dec. 25 and will take effect after 15 days.

This repealed the order issued by the late DENR Secretary Regina L. Lopez, a known anti-mining advocate, in 2017.

“We had pushed for its approval because the MGB initiated the memo to the Office of the President, offering the mining sector as a potential contributor to the recovery of the economy ravaged by the pandemic,” MGB Director Wilfredo G. Moncano said in a text message.

The Philippine economy contracted by a record 9.6% in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The mining sector accounted for P102.3 billion, equivalent to 0.6% of gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2020.

In April this year, President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed Executive Order No. 130 that lifted the nine-year moratorium on new mineral agreements.

The DENR is hoping to revive the mining industry through the lifting of the ban on open pit mining. It said the move will help create much-needed jobs and provide raw materials for the development of other industries.

Open pit mining is a globally accepted method, DENR said. It is defined as “the process of mining any near-surface deposit by means of a surface pit excavated using one or more horizontal benches.”

“There are best practice control strategies and technologies that can help avoid or manage the negative impact of open pit mining,” the department said, adding that major issues concerning mining can be attributed to accidents, not the method itself.

The DENR said mining tenement holders should ensure that using the open pit mining method will not pose hazards to public health and do not release hazardous chemicals into the environment. The mining firms should prevent acid rock drainage and other heavy metals that may contaminate land and water bodies, as well as reduce the use of freshwater resources.

“We welcome the decision to lift the ban on open pit mining,” Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (CoMP) Vice-President for Communications Rocky G. Dimaculangan said in a text message.

“As most mining applications propose the use of the open pit method, this decision will enable the industry to contribute more to our country’s economic recovery, particularly from the devastating effects of this ongoing pandemic through investment promotion, job creation, and poverty alleviation.”

Mr. Dimaculangan said thousands of mines, including those in Australia, Canada and the United States, allow open pit mining. He noted open pit mines can be operated safely and rehabilitated properly.

Meanwhile, Alyansa Tigil Mina in a statement criticized the Duterte administration for allowing open pit mining to resume, saying it is “short-sighted” and shows its “misplaced development priority.”

Reuters said the Philippines’ annual export revenue from its mineral extraction industry could increase by up to $2 billion over the next five to six years as new mining projects take off, citing the government.

The Southeast Asian country is China’s biggest supplier of nickel ore and also has substantial copper and gold reserves.

More than a third of the Philippines’ total land area of 30 million hectares (74.1 million acres) has been identified as having “high mineral potential,” but only less than 5% of its mineral reserves has been extracted so far, according to the MGB.

Philex Mining Corp. is one of the Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific, the others being Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson with Reuters

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